Other new agents for hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract

The efficacy seen with brentuximab vedotin (BV) has set the bar high for evaluating other new agents in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Several additional promising agents are being investigated for HL, and while no single agent has yet demonstrated response rates as high as BV, these agents are good candidates for building combinations. A lot has been learned about the underlying biology of HL that has revealed potential targets for therapy. HL tumors are characterized by their extensive microenvironments made up primarily of T cells as well as eosinophils, B lymphocytes, and plasma cells that surround the rare tumor cells called Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells. There is extensive cross talk through cytokines and chemokines between RS cells and the surrounding inflammatory infiltrate which contributes to support of RS cell survival and suppression of antitumor immunity. Newer agents for HL (summarized in Table 22.1) target the various aspects of HL biology and include PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, and immune modulators.